One Year Later
by kb80
Summary: 3 years after the brotherhood of evil incident, the titans agree to go their separate ways for a year. In their attempts to find themselves, they grow and evolve. Will they be ready for the adversity they will face coming back into jump city?
1. Chapter 1

Richard Grayson was many things, but patient was not one of them. Which is why he was more than slightly perturbed by the absence of his 4 other teammates. As he sat in the large, vibrant room that contained the Titans' television and information hub that was located on the top floor of their massive T-shaped tower sitting on an island in the middle of Jump City's bay, he became lost in his thoughts. 'Did they forget? Are they in trouble? Man I've missed them. I wonder how much they've changed' silently mused the young man. He wore a white t-shirt, jeans, and a brown leather jacket that concealed his body's strong frame. For he had grown over the years, not only the past one, but during his time with the Titans. And those times, he hoped, were about to begin anew.

Starfire was a very bubbly and easily excitable person. Her ability to fly was directly correlated to this, which was why she was flying fast and high over the Western coast of the United States of America. She was headed north for the metropolis known as Jump City for a reunion with her closest friends; and her special someone. Her joy was barely contained, as witnessed by the grin that adorned her heavily tanned, alien face. As the small T-shaped object that she knew to be her home, came into view, her elation could no longer be contained and she began to fly faster, laughing all the way. 'Oh how I have longed to see my friends for so very long, and now they are but a few miles away' She exclaimed in her head. The young woman was adorned in what one would think was skimpy clothing barely befitting a hooker, much less a hero of Jump City. The purple "outfit" if you could even call it that, consisted of two strips of metal that covered her breasts adequately, and met at her crotch to form a metal bikini bottom. Needless to say her armor left nothing to the imagination, and this was especially true due to her development into womanhood since she met her friends, the Titans, and during their year away from one another. Her only worry as she flew was whether or not anyone would be at the tower by the time she arrived.

Victor Stone was many things, but stupid was not one of them. Which is why he was currently glaring at the woman who was currently holding him and his girlfriend of 2 years, a petite pink-haired woman named Jinx, from boarding his private plane. He knew that Jinx and himself were clear to board the plane, as he had arranged all of their necessities earlier. But this woman had the gall to attempt to stop them even though he knew that she had no reason for stopping them. They had made it through security without issue, well with as little issue as a man composed of mostly metal could. The plane had passed all inspections. There was no reason he and Jinx should not have been on their way to Jump City, their old home, as of 22 minutes ago. But this woman would not stop asking them questions about his metal parts. Just as she had gotten into the more personal questions, his girlfriend put an end to it and simply dragged him onto the plane. As the plane took off, he took a sprite from the cooler in the cabin, and put his free arm around Jinx. He then looked out the window into the blue sky, wondering about the fate of his friends, no his family. 'I certainly hope they're all okay. I hope Rob pulled that stick out his butt about alcohol and let's us party hard. Oh well even if he didn- wait, was that Star' he quietly wondered as an orange and purple blur flew under the plane and past it. The sight made him smile and he realized for not the first time, that he was going home.

Rachel Roth, as she decided to go by in honor of her mother, was many things. But an optimist she was not. So when she finished packing her pick-up truck with her clothes and personal belongings in preparation for the three hour long ride south to Jump City she noticed the dark day and frowned. For even she was not brave enough to drive the mountains of Washington during the rain without due caution. But she simply brushed her concern off to the side, in lieu of taking in one of her last breaths of pure, clean, mountain air. That, she decided, was what she would miss the most about her residence. It certainly would not be the termites, she concluded. As she hopped up in the drivers seat, her gray hoodie that matched oddly well with her skin tone and almost hid her figure, was taken off. Brushed to the passengers seat so that she could turn the heat up and enjoy her black tank top. Her jeans and converse would have to reamain on, a fact that she slightly was remorseful for, but one that she would live with. She could admit, even though she was a pessimist, she was excited for the upcoming reunion. 'I hope that everyone makes it there safely, it'd be a pain to have to search for someone on our first day back" she silently thought. Putting her truck into drive, she got on the highway and went south, towards Jump City.

Garfield Mark Logan was many things, but naïve was not one of them. He noticed all the odd and slightly fearful looks he was getting due to his appearance. He also noted that the waitress was flirting with him. He also knew that he was flirting right back, and as always, was doing a good job of it. He knew it was a pity that he had to be somewhere in about twenty minutes. He also knew that if he didn't have that obligation what the waitress and he would be up to as soon as her shift ended. But the place he had to be was important to him, it was his home and he was glad to return. The problem was that home was an ocean away. He knew he shouldn't have stopped in China a week ago but Chinese food from the source was too good, and Kid had always told him that he had to try this place sometime. And, he admitted, he was nervous about what his friends would think of him. If only a little. He had changed a lot over the year, become more serious, focused, yet able to relax at the same time. He had also become a womanizer despite his red skin, hair, and eyes. A result of hanging around Brucie, as the young man casually called the Justice League member who was a playboy philanthropist in his free time. Speaking of.. he paid his check and walked outside the little dive. He took off his flannel shirt, leaving him in only his black jeans, as he spoke into a black phone. "Yeah, Red it's me. I need a transport to Jump City, Titans Tower, if you would. Thanks, Red. Catch you later" was heard as a light encompassed the man and he was suddenly gone without a trace.

-one minute later-

The same red young man reappeared on a small island in the bay of a large city. Taking in a breath of air he simply smiled and walked towards the tower that was also on the green island that he stood upon. Once he came upon the door, he simply looked into the camera that he knew was there, due to having helped installed it, and utterted a phrase that one wouldn't be able to hear but one could vaguely piece out "Cyborg.. King.. All." This apparently was a password of sorts as the door then opened up to a lobby with an elevator in the back. As the red man took the elevator up to the fifth floor, where he knew his team would be, he couldn't help but have his small smile break into a large grin. He was in the tower. Their tower.

The elevator doors opened. He was greeted with the sight of his four closest friends and the only family he had left in the world. "So guys, I hope you didn't start this little shindig without me" jokingly said the red man, before all of the people in the room converged upon him in a monster group hug. An odd group, it would seem. An alien. A half-demon. A Cyborg. A red person. And a human. But for them, it wasn't weird or odd. For them, it meant home. And more importantly, it meant family.

A/N: Woah my first A/N. Well I would just like to sort of tell you where everything in this story is going. All of the uniforms will be DCnU, which I personally like better because of the edge it gives Beast Boy. I haven't decided whether Robin will go Nightwing as the timeline would suggest, or deviate and have him take up Tim Drake's mantle of Red Robin. I think I'm going to go with Nightwing because I loved him as a kid, but you never know. Starfire will change her outfit, I hate how she's practically a slut in DCnU, but you live with it. Cyborg will look like he did helping the good guy's in Injustice: Gods Among Us. The only difference in Raven's costume is that she loses the sleeves and she goes all white to signify her release from Trigon's influence. Well, that's chapter one of One Year Later, I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Review if you see anything you want me to change, or you just love or hate the idea. I know it's cliche but I'm trying to go in a different direction from the whole future thing. Most people see the romance in it, and I do to. But they normally neglect the Action and Adventure aspect and that's what I'm trying to bring. Next Chapter: Reintroductions.


	2. Reintroductions

After everyone had settled down from the monster hug that even Raven had participated in, they reconvened at the U-shaped couch in the middle of the common room. "Now that Beast Boy has finally arrived" started Robin, teasingly "I think that we should begin becoming reacquainted." The rest of the team nodded at this. "I'll go first" began Robin again "I went back home to Gotham to study business at Gotham U, and to fill in for Bruce when he was gone. Don't worry, I haven't lost a step. I go by Red Robin now. Red for short" finished Robin.

"I hope that you know we are still going to call you Robin" quipped Cyborg. The rest of the Titans laughed their agreement. "I'll go next" said the half metal man "As you can see, I've added a lot of bulk to my armor, and believe me when I say it translates to efficiency. But this form is reserved for battle. The armor collapses to give me a more normal appearance. I've been working with S.T.A.R. labs the past year on various projects, and I started dating Jinx at the beginning of the year. We got engaged a month ago" finished the young adult, a wide grin adorned on his face. His proclamation was met with squeals from Starfire, congratulations from Beast Boy and Robin, and a small smile from Raven.

"That was most exciting news friend Cyborg, and I fear that I cannot match your story, but I will try" started Starfire "I visited my home planet, Tamaran, to finish my training as a warrior. At the conclusion of my training, I came back to earth, and went to the University of the reeds in the city of Portland to study English with friend Raven! Then I proceeded to visit the city known as Los Angeles, where I did the chilling of the out for a month, waiting for this glorious reunion" finished Starfire. "That sounds great Star" stated Robin. "It sounded like quite the time" added Raven in her monotone. "I suppose I will go next" she continued "I went to the mountains in Washington to get away and work with my emotions some more. After I was finished that, I enrolled at Reed College in Portland at the same time Star did. We both studied English, but that was my minor. I majored in English Literature, and after the semester ended, I moved back to the mountains where I started my 'vacation.'" Ended Raven.

"My turn I suppose" stated Beast Boy "I went to the JLA to train my powers for a month, then once I had mastered my abilities, I sought out Lady Shiva at Batman's recommendation. She taught me how to fight hand to hand for 11 months in the Himalayas. Without a shirt. Then I got beamed over to China to help the league out a little, and then got beamed here" concluded Beast Boy. "Oh yeah, I forgot, my new codename is Beast. But around the tower you can call me Gar" added Beast Boy, flashing his toothy grin.

"I took the liberty of getting new uniforms for everyone, bar Cy. They are in your individual rooms so you should go try them on, but I think Gar's will have to be modified to suit your new skin color. How did you make that change anyways" questioned Robin. "You guys know about Animal Man right" he asked. As a chorus of yes' rang, he continued "His powers come from his connection to the Red, which is like a living database of every living creature. And since I developed my powers, I became more connected to it and eventually it turned my skin red. It also helped me deal a little better with my animal instincts and forms" answered Beast Boy. "Now that that's sett-" began Robin, but he was cut off by a very peculiar sound. The Titans doorbell. The tower was located on an island, making it difficult to travel to. So typically the doorbell only rang if one of the Titans was locked out, but even that was rare as their communicators served as a skeleton key of sorts and unlocked their home. Needless to say, visitors were very rare, and the group of young adults were surprised to hear the noise. But as they took the elevator down to the lobby to answer the door, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg suddenly became agitated. As soon as they opened the door, Robin and Starfire understood why.

A/N: A cliffhanger of sorts. I've been using comic vine figure more out about the characters newer incarnations. They all still have the fundamental looks of the TV series, and the personalities except for some maturing. But some characters will gain new powers accordingly, or more control. The person at the door shouldn't be too much of a surprise, it's kinda cliche. But don't worry the new character will be integrated slowly to the Titans, and she will remain good. She became one of my favorite characters after watching the recent reruns of the show on Boomerang at 11. That's a a pretty big clue right there. She will unintentionally create problems not only for the team but for me. Her POV will round out the other Titans, and oh the romantic tension she can create. And her powers make the Titans so much more powerful and rounded. Well, no more spoilers for me! KB out.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I have never owned the Teen Titans, and I don't claim to have

"Come inside, make yourself comfortable" exclaimed Beast. "And as soon as you do that, I want you to give us one, just one, good reason that we shouldn't kick your ass from here to Timbuktu" finished Beast. "I regained my memories about eight months ago, have trained in controlling my powers since then, you wouldn't really hurt me, and I don't think you could even if you tried" shot back Terra. "We've all gotten better. Much better. You may have beaten us when we were kids, but now things are different. A lot different" said Raven. "And believe us when we say we have no qualms with hurting you just because you saved us. We aren't the same kids you befriended back then" added Cyborg. "As a group we've changed. We aren't just the kids who respond to crime whenever it happens anymore. We're a task force. And one of the best that's ever been, we can and we will take you down. Hard" finished Robin. "Well, I gave you all reasons. I think I've earned my chance to talk to you. So if you would all put your weapons away, what little good they would do anyways, and we can talk about this like civilized people. Oh right, some of us aren't people, witch" said Terra, arrogance pouring from her. "Don't speak to her like that, you're worse than her on so many levels" snarled Beast Boy. "Fine. We'll go upstairs and have this 'talk' with you. But talk to any of us like that again, and you might as well give up any chance of remaining in this city" stated Robin.

-Break-

"After reviewing your story we've decided to let you live in the city and to let you rejoin the team. You won't take part in any of our more secretive missions, but when we are doing first response duties you will be permitted to help us. If you prove yourself trustworthy then we might allow you to fully join us" said Robin. "None of us like this decision. But we aren't stupid, your powers are certainly appealing to have on the team. So don't forget that this is your last chance. Any sign that you're going to betray us, we will put you down. For good. We also need to have a team meeting to talk about the new way we will be operating and you all still need to get your uniforms. Terra, you can have Beast's since he can't wear his and remain intimidating" continued Robin. "Go check out your uniforms, and then come back to the common room" finished the masked man. (he put it on when he heard the doorbell or something..)

"I hope everyone liked their uniforms. Now it's time to talk about what will happen to us. We'll be more about the preemptive. Taking the fight to the villains. And intel that the League has gathered shows that there is a new group of villains tailor made to fight us. And they were gathered by Slade. This was the deciding factor in allowing Terra back onto the squad, they won't be prepared for her. They will be prepared for us though. Their roster so far is: Atlas, Adonis, Blackfire, Klarion, and Red X. Their only known goal is to take us out. You all know how dangerous all of these foes can be. Which is why we will be taking them out at their headquarters in a week. Until then we are doing teamwork training. And lots of it. They've probably improved as well, so we need to be on point. Is that clear" finally asked the hero formerly known as Robin. As everyone nodded their heads, a screeching alarm went off throughout the tower. On the large TV located along the far wall of the common room, an image of a monster made of electricity showed up. The monster was rampaging through the middle of Jump City, and was headed for the radio tower that was located a few blocks south of the street the monster was on. "Overload! Figures he'd escape right now. You all know that he had help getting out, so expect him to have backup and don't use energy unnecessarily. We want to be prepared for anything. Raven, can you teleport everyone over there" questioned Robin. "I can" answered the violet-haired girl simply. "Then let's go" responded Robin. As soon as the words left his mouth, a black energy bird appeared and engulfed the whole team. And then it was gone, gliding towards the middle of Jump City.

As the Titans arrived, they fanned out: Raven, Robin, and Beast Boy to find the nearest source of water, and Cyborg, Terra, and Starfire to slow down Overload. The battle went routinely as if the Titans had never gone their separate ways. Robin located the water, Raven sent the source towards Beast Boy, who was an elephant, and he sent that towards Overload. Terra, Cyborg, and Starfire did an admirable job keeping property damage down and slowing Overload at the same time. This was only the beginning of the battle, as Cinderblock and Plasmus appeared from behind one of the surrounding buildings. They were dispatched as easily and routinely as Overload had been, and the Titans began to become wary. It shouldn't have been this easy. It was never this easy. As Starfire began to voice these thoughts she was cut off by an explosion from the bay. The sight and sound filled them with fear and anger. For the only thing to be blown up in the bay was the tower, and when they turned around, their tower was burning to the ground.

A/N: About character names: In battle dialogue they will address Beast Boy as Beast and Robin as Red. In tower dialogue Beast Boy will be Gar and Robin will be Robin. I will always address the characters as Beast Boy and Robin. In narrations. Terra's kinda a bitch huh? She's bitter and it shows. Her arrogance and bitchiness will foil Beast Boy though because he will be EDGY, and that'll show best through Terra. But like I said, she will remain good. Also, since I have all these story ideas running around in my head, I'm going to start an anthology, and the stories that are well received, or I feel I can build on I will continue as an actual story. But before I release that, I will put out two stories. The parody I've wanted to do. Well not parody but humor story. And this idea that I have for the Titans in the real world as assassins. No powers, but they're still all badass. Hopefully will be better than it sounds. Well peace to the middle east, and all that jazz. KB, out.


End file.
